


Launched into adulthood

by Crazyshadowmoon



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, Alternate Universe - No Magic, F/M, I'm not sure exactly where this is gonna go, Kissing scenes, Not that oblivious Adrien, Romance, clumsy marinette, falling in love on the job, girls frienship, it's nice to have connections, roomates in dorms, starting real adulthood, studies and new job
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-23 02:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20332315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyshadowmoon/pseuds/Crazyshadowmoon
Summary: AU - Marinette was so excited when knew she was accepted in one of the best design programs in Paris. But soon after, she learns she has to move out from her parent's house since they have to leave for family business abroad. She suddenly is launched into adulthood, without her parents or her best friend by her side.Soon after moving out, she needs money and with some unexpected connections, she manages to find a part time job at the place of her dreams: Gabriel Agreste's fashion house. She starts as a cleaning lady, but she hopes that one day she'll be able to work as a designer for the Agrestes. There, she meets a gorgeous blond model who is no other than her boss's son, Adrien Agreste. She soon falls in love, but wonders: Will he notice her too?This is not my first fic for this fandom, but it's the first one I write completely in English, instead of writing it in french and translate it afterwards. English is not my main language, but I do use it everyday.





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a happy young woman. She had a wonderful childhood: Loving parents who cherished her and always encouraged her, a warm home full of love and laughs and unlimited access to sweets since her family was living above her parent’s bakery.

After she successfully graduated from college, she spent the next two years baking and selling pastries with her parents. With that full time job and the fact that she didn’t have any rent or bills to pay since she was still living with her family, she managed to save enough money to go to a prestigious university, where she was accepted in one of the best designer programs in Paris. She was so excited to start her first semester in less than three weeks! It was a dream come true.

When she got her acceptation letter in the mail, her parents celebrated the good news with lots of food, family members, friends, and of course, a huge cake.

Her best friend Alya Césaire, an audacious redhead with an insatiable curiosity, was about to start her third year in a journalism program. She was the best of her cohort, and one of her teachers gave her a unique opportunity to finish her studies abroad.

Marinette was excited for her friend, but was also sad when she realized that they wouldn’t be able to see each other for a full year, since Alya would be living on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. They promised to keep in touch through Skype, at least three times a week.

The young woman was busy working on a new design that she planned to wear on her first day of university, when her mom’s head appeared through the trap door in her room.

“Marinette, sweetie, do you have a minute?” she asked. “Me and your dad would like to tell you something important.”

“I’m coming, maman! I just need to finish this stitch and I’ll come down.”

A few minutes later, she was greeted downstairs by her parents who were sitting on the couch. The look on their faces was serious and the young woman suddenly felt nervous. She knew just by looking at them that whatever they had to tell her, it wasn’t good news.

Her mom patted on the couch, inviting her to sit down between them. She cleared her throat and smiled softly at her daughter.

“Sweetie, we have some bad news... Me and your dad will have to leave Paris for some time. Well, at least for a year...”

“W-what!!” she shouted.

“I have some important family stuff to take care of in China. Your dad is coming with me because I will need his help. We will have to close the bakery during that time. And to be able to pay the bills, we have to rent the house.” Sabine continued.

“What do you mean rent the house? I can pay for rent if you need money!”

“Mari...” called her dad. “It’s more complicated than that. The price we have to rent the house is way more than what you could afford. We don’t want you to start your studies and have to work full time so you could stay here...”

“But...”

“No buts, sweetie.” said Sabine softly. “I know it’s short notice, but I got the call only a few days ago. I contacted the University and it seems that there is a bedroom that just became available at the dorms. I explained the situation to the dean and he managed to put your name on priority list. So if you’re okay with that, it’s yours. But we have to give him the confirmation before tomorrow at noon.”

“I guess... I have no choice, right?...” Marinette sighed.

Tom patted his daughter’s back with his large hand, a contrite look on his face.

“We are sorry honey... We tried to find a solution to be able to stay here while taking care of the family stuff, but it’s impossible. We didn’t want to put more pressure on you.”

“It’s... okay dad... I guess...” said the young woman softly. “I understand. When are you leaving?” “Next week.” her mother responded. “But you can stay here until the end of the month if you want. Or you can move in the dorms next Monday if you prefer. That way, we could help you moving your stuff.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it... I will miss you so much!” said Marinette, a tear rolling down her cheek. “With Alya gone too, I will feel lonely...”

“Oh sweetie...” said her mother, before her parents pulled her in a tight family hug.

* * *

Later that evening, Marinette called her best friend on Skype. As soon as the redhead’s face appeared on her cellphone screen, she felt a little bit better.

“Hey girl! You won’t believe what happened to me today! I was at the library and... Whoa! What’s with the long face?”

“Hey Al... I... I just learned that my parents are leaving for China next week for at least a year, and they have to rent the house so they can afford all the bills and to be able to rent something over there...”

“What?! No way! So, does that means you will be homeless? Or are you going with them? And what about your studies?”

“No, no... I will be staying in one of the University dorms.”

“Ugh, that sucks...”

“Yeah... I think I’ll have to get a job, because I saved enough money to pay for the inscription, books and other university fees but I won’t be able to pay for rent, food and other things for the whole year, only with my savings...”

“You can’t continue to work at the bakery?”

“No... My parents will close it down until they come back, so...”

“Right... Poor girl! I wish I could give you a giant hug right now!”

“Awww thanks... I would need that. I just hope that I will meet nice people at the uni because I don’t like the idea of spending my first year totally alone, you know?”

“Yeah I feel you... But don’t worry. You’re such a nice girl, in less than a week, all your class will like you! And maybe you’ll finally find loooove... Who knows?”

“That would definitely be a huge improvement in my forever empty love life.”

“Girl, you’re just so picky!”

“I’m not picky. I just wait for the perfect guy, the love of my life, to magically appear in front of me.”

“That’s what I’m saying. You’re damn picky. But speaking of love life...”

“Oooohhh did you see that Nino guy again?”

“Yes, miss! And I found out last night he’s a really good kisser, among other things, if you know what I mean.”

“Alya! Already?”

“What? Better test out the merch before buying it. Anyway, my lunch break is almost over. Better go back to class!”

“Right, I’m still not used to the fact that it’s seven hours earlier where you are.”

“Yeah, so don’t you dare call me between 9 am and 2 pm, parisian time! Unless it’s an emergency. I need my 5 hours of sleep!”

After saying goodbye to her friend, Marinette put her phone down on her desk and dropped onto her bed, thinking about the incoming days. She had so much to do before moving out. She didn’t sleep well that night, tossing and turning in bed until way past midnight. She sigh and covered her face with a pillow when she realized that she had to wake up very early for one of her last shifts at the bakery.


	2. Moving in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette moves in her new room but didn't know she had a roommate. After setting her things up, it's time to find a part time job. She will have unexpected help from abroad.

“And here’s the last box sweetie.” said Tom as he dropped a large box full of books on the floor.

“Thanks dad! That one was really heavy!” said his daughter.

It was Monday afternoon. After a week busy packing all her belongings and helping to close the bakery, Marinette moved into the university dorms with her parents’ help.

Their plane was leaving the next day and they still had a lot of things to do so that was pretty much the last time she would see them before they come back to Paris. She looked at them, tears forming on the corner of her eyes. She didn’t want them to leave.

Sabine and Tom pulled their daughter in a big hug. The tears were now rolling down softly on Marinette’s cheeks, as she hugged them tight.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. Pretty soon, we’ll be back.” said her mother, patting her back. “We’ll call you at least twice a week. We love you so much.”

After saying a last goodbye to her parents, Marinette returned to what would be her room for the next year. It was small but convenient. There was two twin beds at opposite corners of the room. Two large work tables, two desk chairs, two dressers, a medium fridge and a small couch were the only furniture in the room. A door led to a small private bathroom with a shower. She felt grateful that she didn’t have to use a public bathroom everyday.

One side of the room was already occupied with someone else’s belongings and almost everything was pink. Marinette didn’t know she would have to share the room with a stranger. The other student was not there, and the raven-haired girl wondered if they would get along. At least it seemed they like the same colours.

A few doors away from the bedroom was a large kitchen that was shared with three other rooms. At the very end of the corridor, there was a laundry room with two washers and three dryers. Marinette noted that she would need to keep some spare change in her room if she wanted to be able to wash her clothes.

She had unpacked half of her things when the door opened. A blond short-haired young woman appeared, smiling brightly. Marinette stood up from her bed and greeted the girl, returning her smile.

“Hi! I’m Marinette! I just arrived a few hours ago.”

“Hi! I’m Rose. Nice to meet you Marinette!”

“Nice to meet you too! So... we’re gonna be roommates for the next year, I guess.”

“Yeah! Feel free to use some space in the fridge and on the bathroom shelves.”

“Thanks! Hum, I don’t want to bother you, but speaking of the fridge, do you know where is the nearest grocery store?”

“Oh yes! And you’re not bothering me at all! It’s my second year here, so I can show you around if you’d like.”

“Oh sure that’d be really nice of you!”

“I was planning to do my grocery this afternoon anyway. Why don’t we go together? We could share some of the stuff we buy and we could plan to cook some meals together! That is if you want to, of course.”

“Hum yeah, sure!”

“Great! And you must be tired after moving in. Would you like to go for a coffee and snacks first? I know a really nice place on the way to the grocery store.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard today. I’m actually starving. I couldn’t eat this morning, I was too stressed...”

“Then let’s go!”

Marinette grabbed her purse and followed Rose. She was glad her new roommate was so nice. Maybe she won’t be that lonely this year, after all...

* * *

After spending a very nice time chatting with her new roommate while drinking a cup of well deserved coffee, Marinette followed Rose to the grocery store. They agreed on sharing most of their meals, so they bought together all that was needed for some simple good recipes. When Rose learned that Marinette’s parents had a bakery, she begged her to teach her how to cook the best sweets. The latter accepted gladly.

That’s why they were now in the common kitchen, hands and clothes covered with flour, rolling dough while a batch of cookies was slowly cooking in the oven. A sweet smell of vanilla and chocolate was spreading through the dorms. They laughed a lot, and learned to know each other a little bit more. Marinette was so glad to get along with her roommate so far.

The classes were beginning only next week, so Marinette spent the first few days exploring the University, to locate where she would attend her different courses and where was the library and the cafeteria. She also walked around the campus a lot, and gave her name at different shops in the neighbourhood, hoping to find a decent paying job.

* * *

Marinette called Alya almost every night, chatting about everything and nothing, but mostly about the budding relationship between her best friend and Nino, who she met abroad. The funny thing was that he also came from Paris, and had decided to travel a bit before coming back to study. He fell in love with the country he was visiting, and decided to apply for a student exchange so he could stay there longer. Alya met him at the university’s student café.

That night it was Alya who called first, and she seemed really excited.

“Hey girl!”

“Hi Al! How was your day?”

“Great! Listen, I have great news for you.”

“What is it? Don’t tell me you’re coming back to Paris because you can’t live without me?”

“I’d really like to come back to you love, but no. I found you a job.”

“Wait, you what?”

“I’m not kidding! You know Nino also comes from Paris?”

“Huh-uh...”

“His best bro is non other then Adrien Agreste, you know, the son of the famous designer Gabriel Agreste? So he told him about his girlfriend’s BFF who was looking for a student job. And it appears that they’re actually looking for new employees at _Gabriel’s._ Nothing big, more like cleaning and maintenance staff. But it’s well-paid and you’d set foot in THE best design company in France. So we never know, you could ask later to do your internship there...”

“Really?! What do I have to do?”

“Nino already asked Adrien to give your name to the person in charge of the employees and I still had a copy of your resume on my USB drive so we also forwarded it to him. Adrien sent an email to Nino a few minutes ago and gave him the contact’s information for you.”

“You guys are the best! Oh Al, you should definitely marry him!”

“Whoa calm down girl!”

Alya forwarded the email to Marinette who couldn’t stop thanking her.

The next morning, Marinette contacted a woman named Nathalie Sancoeur, who asked her to come at 14:00 to sign the work contract. The young woman couldn’t believe she didn’t even have to do an interview for that job!

Nonetheless, Marinette made sure her outfit and hair were flawless, wanting to make a good first impression.

It took her only thirty minutes to walk to _Agreste’s_ headquarters. It was located in one of the most rich districts in Paris, and was surrounded with extravagantly huge houses and mansions, colourful gardens and century-old oak trees. It was simply gorgeous.

When she arrived, she was oriented to a waiting area on the fourth floor. She only had time to sit down a few minutes before a stoic woman holding a tablet asked to follow her.

She noticed the name on the office door and it confirmed her that it was Nathalie Sancoeur, whom she spoke to a few hours ago. The meeting went well, and Marinette signed the work contract after the woman sitting in front of her explained all the terms. The salary was good, and she would be working fifteen hours a week as a member of the cleaning staff. She would start next Saturday, for a two days training with the team manager.

Back at the dorms, she celebrated her hiring with her roommate with one of her favourite dishes and a nice bottle of white wine. She was happy that, even if she was worried at first, everything seemed to be falling into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the second chapters! The first two chapters were to set the story grounds but the actual plot should start in chapter 3. And there will be romance! Because I love romance and can't stop writing romance haha!
> 
> If you have ideas or want to notify me of mistakes in my chapter, feel free to comment!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette made quite a first impression on a certain blond-haired man. Dupain-Cheng style.

It’s been three weeks since Marinette started her new job. The training went well and the members of the maintenance team that she met so far were friendly. Since she was working on weekdays evenings, the building was almost empty except for the cleaning staff and some designers who preferred to work late. She really appreciated the silence after a long day at the university. Her classes were really interesting, but the campus was huge and full of life. At the dorms, students liked to throw parties and she could barely grasp some quiet time.

Tonight, she was assigned to the production and creation floor.  She  was  currently  vacuuming the thick carpet of one of the work rooms  where designs were left for the night in different steps of completion.  She couldn’t  help but to stop in front of one of the mannequins on which  sat a gorgeous coral pink cocktail dress. It seemed almost finished, only missing a few embroideries. 

Marinette put down the sweeper and touched delicately the fabric of the dress. It was  made of silk and it shone slightly in the dim light of the room.  She was so absorbed in the contemplation of the dress that she didn’t hear footsteps  approaching . 

Someone cleared  their throat and Marinette jumped and squeaked, startled.  With her unfortunate clumsiness, she knocked the mannequin down with her  hip while suddenly turning toward the sound she heard .  It crashed right on the nearby desk, knocking over a bowl full of pins.

“Oh my god!” she screamed.

She promptly picked up the fallen mannequin and put it back in place, making sure no damage was done to the dress.

“Oh god I’m so...” 

The last word died on her tongue when her eyes met green ones. S urprised, s he took two step s back  and looked at the man standing in front of her. He  seemed to be the same age as Marinette, was tall, had blond  slightly tousled hair and was grinning, holding in a laugh. His eyebrows were raised in a surprised expression and his eyes were shining from amusement.  His broad shoulders where hugged by a  charcoal tailored suit jacket. He didn’t wear a tie though, and the two first buttons of his green shirt were undone, showing a bit of his skin. His look was completed with a pair of fitted  charcoal pants and neatly polished shoes.  He was really handsome.  No, he was gorgeous.

The young woman felt her cheeks getting hot, blushing from embarrassment.

“I... I... Hum... Sorry?...” she stuttered, while trying to put back the scattered pins in the bowl.

The man smiled and crouched to pick up a ribbon that had fell from the mannequin. He handed it to Marinette who looked at it without picking it right away.

“Hi! I’m Adrien!” he said. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

“H-Hi... my name is Ma-Marinette. I’m new here...” she responded, finally picking the ribbon from his hand. Their fingers brushed slightly and Marinette blushed even more. She slowly looked up to meet his eyes.

“Marinette... I think I’ve heard your name before...” He looked at her more intently. She thought she would melt under his gaze.

“I...” She cleared her throat. “I think I was hired here b-because of you.” she answered, her fingers fidgeting with the ribbon.

His face suddenly lit up.

“Oh! You’re the girl my buddy Nino asked me to help get in the company! You’re his girlfriend’s best friend, right?”

“That’s me!” She cringed internally at the way her voice was high pitched when she was nervous.

“Well, nice to finally meet you, Marinette.” Adrien said, extending his arm for a hand shake.

She shook his hand, which was warm and soft while hers was cold and shaking a bit.

He smiled again at her. “I won’t hold you back any longer. I don’t want you to be late on your schedule because of me. See you around?”

She smiled and nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. Adrien waved and walked out of the room. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She grunted, awfully embarrassed that her clumsiness was the first thing the renowned model Adrien Agreste saw of her. That was pure Marinette Dupain-Cheng luck.

After finishing her shift at work, Marinette went back home, exhausted. She was glad to see that the room was empty tonight. Rose probably decided to spend the night at her girlfriend’s apartment. She met Juleka once, and she seemed very nice. She was happy for her roommate.

She took a long hot shower, washing away the stress of the day. She put on her most comfy pyjama and laid down on her bed with the novel she was reading these days. After reading the same page three times, she groaned and dropped the open book on her face. All she could think of was green eyes and blond hair. She had to admit that seeing Adrien Agreste in person was something. He was even more handsome than his pictures in the magazines. And he seemed like a very nice guy. When she knocked the mannequin down, she was sure he would get mad, maybe even yell at her. But he actually acted as if nothing happened, smiling and even helping her.

Marinette sighed. She jumped when she felt her cellphone vibrating on her lap. She picked it up to see who was texting her so late.

_*Alya*: Hey girl! You up??_

_~Mari~: Yup! Having a good day?_

_*Alya*: Yeah! Sooooooo... Somebody told me you met your boss’ son today? ;)_

_~Mari~: Wait what? How did you know???_

_*Alya*: I have exclusive sources, you know. _

_~Mari~: Wait... Nino? How did he know?? Wait. Adrien told him? What did he say?? Oh god..._

_*Alya*: LOL calm down girl! He just texted to tell him he met you today at work and that you seemed really nice. _

_*Alya*: So, tell me, is he hot? ;)_

_~Mari~: Oh god yes... But, you know me, I HAD to make a fool of myself in front of him. Hello first impression... ugh!_

_*Alya*: Let me guess. Your clumsiness stroke again? XD_

_~Mari~: Geez, how did you know?... _

_*Alya*: Just a hunch. And what did you do this time?_

_~Mari~: Oh, you know, nothing much. I just casually knocked down a mannequin. On which was a designer’s dress. A SILK dress nonetheless. And a bowl full of pins. So he could try to walk on one and stab his foot. The usual stuff._

_*Alya*: What??? No... Oh Mari... You’ll never change..._

_~Mari~: Yeah, I know. I love to look like a fool and make people laugh. What is self-esteem again? _

_*Alya*: Well it’s a good way to be remembered! _

_~Mari~: Ha. Ha. So funny._

_*Alya*: Come on girl, it’s not that bad. I’m sure Adrien thought you were cute. Nino told me the guy’s sweet as honey. He would never be mean or avoid you on purpose even if you’re a walking safety hazard._

_~Mari~: Yeah, he was nice... Even helped me picking up some things. But I’m still so embarrassed... _

_*Alya*: A good night of sleep and a strong hot coffee in the morning should make things better._

_~Mari~: Yeah, I guess you’re right... Talk to you soon!_

_*Alya*: Of course! I miss you Mari._

_~Mari~: Miss you too, Al. Bye!_

_Marinette sighed and leaned back on her bed. She fell asleep thinking of bright green eyes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't ignore Marinette's well-known clumsiness! A non-clumsy Marinette is not a true Marinette. I hope you liked it!
> 
> Don't hesitate to write a comment or leave kudos if you liked it! Thnaks!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Marinette's day is "almost" a disaster, thanks to her bad luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi readers! Sorry for not posting for almost a year!! Yikes! My life was crazy since last fall. But here I am, with a new chapter. I'll try to update chapter 5 faster!

Today really didn’t go as planed for Marinette. She forgot to charge her phone when she went to bed, so of course it was completely dead this morning. Since her phone was also her alarm clock, and that Rose slept at Juleka’s last night, she woke up already 30 minutes late for her morning class.

She got up and got dressed, tied her long black hair in a messy bun, grabbed a banana and ran across the campus. Naturally, she had to miss the last step leading to the university’s entrance, and to drop the books she was holding.

In the afternoon, she had totally forgot that she had a test for her fashion’s history class, so she hadn’t study for it. She was able to answer all the questions (thank god it was mostly multiple choices questions) but she barely finished on time.

She had a four hours shift at _Agreste’s _that night, so she ran as fast as she could. She had been working there for two months now. Unfortunately, her bad luck stroke again. It had rained in the afternoon and while she was just across the street from work, a car going too fast passed beside her, rolling in a giant puddle, splashing water all over her.

“Oh come on!!! Now what?!” shouted angrily Marinette, stomping, water dripping from her now wet hair and clothes.

She stood there for a few seconds, bewildered, then shook her head before crossing the street. She then noticed a man staring at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise, a small smile on his lips.

“Ah...M-mister Agreste!” said the young woman, suddenly more aware of her now messed up look.

“Please Marinette, I already asked you, call me Adrien. Mister Agreste is my father.” answered her boss’s son.

“S-sorry! Erm...”

She didn’t know what to say. She was so embarrassed!

“Don’t stay outside like that, you’ll catch a cold.” said Adrien, smiling softly at her. He opened and hold the entrance door for her to come in the building.

“Come with me, I have some towels in my office. And I’m sure I’ll be able to find you something dry to wear.”

“I’m ok! You don’t have to! It’s just a little bit of water...” she tried shyly. Adrien chuckled.

“A little bit? You’re soaking wet. You’re literally standing in a puddle right now.”

Marinette groaned. She didn’t know which god she pissed off today but he must be really mad, with all the bad luck she had. She nodded slowly, her face now feeling on fire.

She followed the model to his office. He let her in but she stayed near the door, worried to ruin some papers or furniture with the water still dripping from her clothes. She looked at her reflection in the nearby mirror and mentally cringed. Her hair were flattened, her mascara was running down her cheeks and her clothes were sticking to her body. At least she wasn’t wearing a white blouse, or she would have died right there from embarrassement.

Adrien handed her a thick towel, still smiling. She took it, thanking him and proceeded to dry her hair and her clothes. She noticed that he was still looking at her, but seemed lost in his thoughts. He shook his head and his green eyes met her blue ones.

“You can stay here while I go check for some spare clothes. You can use my washroom to freshen yourself up if you wish. Don’t worry about being late, I will tell Nathalie what happened.”

“T-thank you...” Marinette stuttered.

Adrien came back a few minutes later with pants and a t-shirt borrowed from one of the employee. Marinette had cleaned her face and she was tying her damp hair in a low ponytail. Her clothes were still clinging to her figure, which didn’t go unnoticed.

She took the dry clothes from him and went back in the washroom to change. The pants were a bit too big for her but they were at least warm and comfy. She stepped out of the office and turned to thank the young man for the umpteenth time, before heading for the employees’ room to put away her belongings.

“It’s my pleasure, Marinette. Oh and wait! By the way, would you like to go for a coffee later tonight?” asked Adrien. “I have some free time, and since our best friends are dating, we could, I don’t know, maybe reveal their most embarrassing secrets?” The model was now grinning, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Well, why not? That could be fun.” laughed Marinette. “But I’d like to go back home after my shift, to at least look decent.”

“No problem, I can pick you up at 9pm. Where do you live?” asked Adrien.

“Erm... well...”

She was embarrassed to reveal that she was living at the university dorms. He probably lived in an opulent apartment in one of the more prestigious areas of Paris. He was the son of one of the most influential designer in Europe, after all.

“Could we rather meet at the café?” tried Marinette.

“Nonsense. It seems that you had enough trouble today. Let me at least pick you up. That way you’ll be sure to arrive at least dry.” Adrien blinked at her she felt her cheeks flush.

“W-well... Promise me you won’t laugh...” said Marinette shyly. His face became suddenly serious.

“Why would I? You don’t have to be ashamed, you know. I know that you study full time and can only manage to work part time. Student’s life can be really tough.”

“Thank you.” answered Marinette, smiling a little. “I live... at the dorms on the university campus...”

“Really? Nice! I would have loved that! You’re lucky.” He smiled softly at her.

“Hmm. Lucky is not the first word that would come to my mind.” she answered. “I would say... desperate?” she tried.

“Why? You live at a place where you can meet a lot of great people. You can never really feel lonely...”

She felt a pang in her heart. He seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment. When she met his gaze, she smiled softly.

“I never thought about it that way... But you’re right. And since my best friend and my parents are abroad, I’m kind of relieved that I have at least a nice roommate to keep me company.”

“I’m glad. So, 9 pm sounds good for you?” he asked.

“Sure! See you later Adrien... and thanks again for everything.”

For the first time since she was working there, Marinette felt like her shift was taking forever.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien asked Marinette to go to for a coffee that night. She hopes everything will go smoothly...

It was 8:30 pm and Marinette was rummaging through her closet to find something decent to wear. Rose was sitting on her bed, humming a joyful song while painting her nails in pink.

“Rose? What do you think I should wear between those two dresses?” asked Marinette, showing Rose a burgundy long sleeved fitted short dress and a red sleeveless pleated mid-thigh dress with a large black belt in its middle.

“Definitely the red one. Red looks so good on you!” she squealed. “And you should wear it with opaque black tights and your short black boots!”

“Yes good idea! And I’m sure I have my black leather short coat somewhere...” she said while looking for it.

Marinette went to the bathroom to change and re-do her hair. She opted for a low messy bun and let loose some strands of silky black hair to frame her face. She did her makeup but kept it natural. After all, its not like she was going on a date or anything, just a casual outing... with a freaking walking god who’s a renown supermodel and who also happens to be her boss’ son!

“Marinette! It’s almost 9 pm! Don’t keep your date waiting...” called her roommate in a sing-song tone.

“It’s not a date!!”

“If you say so.”

Rose was grinning and Marinette let out a sigh, rushing to the door.

“Your purse!” called out the blond haired girl.

“Thanks! See you later! Bye!”

Marinette ran down the stairs and to the main entrance of the dorms. Adrien was already there, waiting for her. He stepped out of his car as soon as he saw her.

“Hey there, you look lovely tonight.” greeted the young man, smiling.

“T-thank you... I... You look good too!” stuttered Marinette, her cheeks coloured with a light shade of pink.

Adrien opened the passenger door for her to climb in the car. He took his seat behind the wheel and turned to look at Marinette. He had to admit that she was really beautiful tonight. He smiled softly.

“I was thinking of going to that new coffee-bar that just opened near the Tuileries Gardens.” he suggested. “I’ve read they have the best baked goods around.”

“Yes that seems nice! But... I can tell you that they don’t sell THE best pastries in Paris.” she answered.

“Oh, you’ve already been there?” he asked, a bit confused.

“No. I just know that my family’s bakery makes the best macarons, cupcakes and croissants. You should come and try them someday.”

She grinned and Adrien let out a breathy laugh.

“Is that an invitation?” he asked, winking at her. She suddenly felt her face growing hot.

“No! I-I mean... yes? I mean sure but... it’s closed now, for at least the next year so...” she stammered.

“Really? What happened?”

Marinette looked at Adrien, who had started the engine. She saw concern in his eyes.

“It’s... temporary. My mom comes from China and had important family business to attend there. My parents had to close the bakery and rent their... well, our house, which is above the bakery, to be able to pay the bills...” she answered shyly.

“I see... So is that the reason why you moved in the university dorms?”

“Yeah... I was supposed to stay with them for at least a couple of years, continue to work part time at the bakery but... you know the rest. It wasn’t planned at all. It all happened just two weeks before the beginning of the first semester.”

“I see... You know, you don’t have to be shy about that. I think it’s great that you managed to attend this good university and to live on your own on such a short notice.”

Adrien smiled softly. She lost herself in the green of his eyes for a few seconds, and thanked him timidly. After a moment, he cleared his throat, and Marinette thought she saw a dust of pink on his cheeks.

After a short car ride and casual conversation, they arrived at the coffee-bar. The waitress assigned them a small table in a quiet corner. The place was lovely. They selected their coffees and pastries and chatted animatedly about the new Jagged Stone album that just came out. Marinette was surprised at how easy it was to chat with Adrien. She would have thought that, coming from a rich family and being a celebrity among the fashion industry, he would be maybe a bit snob or condescending. But he was none of that. In fact, he seemed like a simple nice guy, who did not really care about his fame.

They discussed everything and nothing, laughing a lot, having a good time. They switched from coffee to white wine, and after two glasses, Marinette’s shyness seemed to have completely vanished.

They decided to take a walk near the Seine, now that the sky was clear and the air was warm. They couldn’t stop laughing, talking about their best friends’ most embarrassing stories.

“... and then, Nino woke up on the roof, half naked, wondering how the hell he got up there!” revealed Adrien, laughing.

“Oh my god!! I... I can’t imagine how lost he must have been! That reminds me of that time when Alya...” continued Marinette.

It was past midnight when the car pulled up in front of the university dorms. Adrien opened the passenger door for Marinette. When she got out of the car, she bumped her foot against the curb and lost her balance. She braced herself and closed her eyes, thinking she was going to hit the pavement face first, but the shock was less violent than she assumed it would be. In fact, her face and torso hit something firm but soft at the same time.

When Adrien saw Marinette falling, he jumped in front of her to try to catch her. With the momentum of her fall, her body collided with his and he tumbled backward. His heels bumped against the curb, which made him fall on his rear, with the young woman across his lap.

When she realized what happened, Marinette was instantly mortified. She shuffled awkwardly, trying to move away from Adrien.

“Oh my god I’m SO sorry!! I-I can be so clumsy... Oh god I didn’t want to knock you down! I understand if you want to fire me! I... ok kill me now.” she rambled.

“Hey... It’s ok, don’t worry Marinette. Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?” he asked gently, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“N-no... I’m fine... Are you?...”

“I’m good. I...”

Adrien forgot what he was about to say. His eyes met her big bluebell ones, then they slowly drifted to her pouting lips. He felt his heartbeat suddenly increase, fighting against the urge to kiss them...

He was brought back from his daydream when Marinette stood up and presented him her hand to help him. He took it and was surprised by how strong she was, as she was pulling him on his feet.

Adrien rubbed his nape with his other hand, a habit he had since childhood.

“Well, that was... a very nice evening. I haven’t laugh that much in a long time... Thank you.” he said, his cheeks hot.

“I... Thank you. I had a great time too...” she answered shyly.

“See you tomorrow at work?”

“Hum... y-yes see you tomorrow.”

Adrien didn’t notice he was still holding her hand. He let it go slowly, and she shivered at the caress of his fingers as they left her palm.

Marinette walked to the door and turned to wave at him before entering the dorms. She almost ran to her room, closed the door behind her and she dropped onto her bed, dumbstruck. Well, she was screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I think it's gonna be a slooooow burn... maybe not. I'll see. But definitely some fluff coming! Please, feel free to leave comments! Thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> So here's my first chapter! Feel free to leave comments, and if you have suggestions of corrections you would like me to do, just write it there! Thank you for reading!


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